Traction attachment for walking aids



March l, 1955 D. L. sPEcK 2,703,094

TRACTION ATTACHMENT FOR WALKING AIDS Filed June 29, 1951 INVEN TOR.

euh" w United States Patent O IRACTION ATTACHMENT FoR WALKING AIDS'BDonald -L.Speck, -Austin,' Minn. Apparati@ tuners, 1951,5seria1-1N0.234,420 iz (Cl. @55:57)

This invention relates to traction grips for walking aids such ascrutches and the like.

It has been a problem to provide a relatively inexpensive, yet highlyeicient traction attachment for walking aids in the nature of stickssuch as crutches, canes and the like which may be quickly and easilyattached or removed from the bottom of the stick and which may beconveniently carried in removed or retracted position.

It is an object of my invention to provide an extremely simple andinexpensive, yet highly ecient traction attachment for walking aids suchas crutches and the like which may be easily and quickly mounted on thewalking aid and may be quickly shifted from retracted to operativeposition thereon.

It is another object to provide a traction attachment for walking aidswhich is adapted to be carried on the walking aid in retracted positionwhen not in use and resiliently held in retracted position butconstructed to permit quick and easy shifting thereof from retractedposition to operative position to resiliently hold the same in operativeposition on the ground engaging tip of the walking aid.

These and other objects and advantages will more fully appear from thefollowing description made in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar partsthroughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of my improved tractiondevice for walking aids showing the same in operative position by fulllines and in retracted inoperative position by dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of an alternative form of myinvention;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view of the structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of one form of traction plate used in myinvention; and

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the traction plate used in another formof my invention.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I show a walking aid suchas the crutch 7 having the conventional rubber tip 8 iixed on the bottomthereof.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 6, I show one form of my invention designated by theletter A. In form A, I provide a traction plate 11 having dependingpointed teeth 11a and upstanding tab or ange members 11b. The tabmembers 11b are disposed at the periphery of the plate and extendupwardly from the main body portion thereof to form a tip receivingsocket and closely embrace the periphery of the tip S. In the formshown, two pair of such tab elements are provided. A pair of attachingmembers such as resilient elements, respectively designated by thenumerals 9 and 10, have one of their ends respectively connected to onepair of said upstanding tab elements in diametrically opposed relation.The upper end of resilient element 10 is hingedly connected to the lowerportion of the walking aid as by the screw eye 13. The upper end of thespring 9 is removably attached to detent means such as a hook providedin the lower portion of the crutch 7 on the opposite side thereof fromthe screw eye 13. A loop 14 forms an interconnection element tofacilitate connection between the hook and spring 9. The hook 15receives the loop or ring 14 to hold the traction plate 11 in operativeposition with the upper side of the plate `thehook-Ifreceiving vtheringill, `:The screw eye `13 forms a .hinge or .pivot .about which theentireftraction k attachment Vswings .'from :retracted position .intooperative .position n f lprovided uat .the-lower :ends .of .the ksprings9 -an`d T10 AfIwo vlintermediately .disposed .pivots .are also`wheresaid-springs are connected withione pairof opposed tab elements`11b.

InfthelFigsf 4 and`5, an alternative .form of my invention isillustrated. 'A traction plate 12 of quadrilateral shape, such as therectangular plate illustrated, is provided and has an upwardly projectedretaining element 12a adapted to engage the resilient center portion oftip 8 of the walking aid to hold plate 12 against shifting movement. Tworows of teeth 12b are, in the form shown, provided along the side edgesof plate 12 in depending relation to the main body portion thereof. Apair of non-resilient links 17 are respectively connected at their lowerends in spaced relation at one end of plate 12 and a pair of screw eyes18 mounted in the two sides of the walking aid are connected with theupper ends of said links 17 as by the links 19. The two screw eyes 18provide the hinge about which the plate 12 swings from operativeposition up into retracted position, as shown by the dotted lines ofFig. 4. A spring 9 identical to the spring 9 of form A having a ring 14at the upper end thereof is provided and a pair of hooks 15 and 16respectively hold the plate 12 in operative and retracted positions. Aninverted V-shaped link 20 has its lower spaced ends connected with plate12 and the lower end of spring 9 is connected at the upper end thereof.Obviously the links 17 are of such a length that the plate 12 will beheld tightly against the bottom of the crutch tip 8 when the same is inoperative position and thus in form B of my invention only a singleresilient element is required. The teeth 12b of course servesubstantially the same function as the teeth 11a in form A of myinvention and prevent slippage of the tip of the walking aid on slipperysurfaces.

In both forms A and B of my invention, it will be seen that I haveprovided highly efficient, easily retractible traction attachments forunderlying the convention resilient tips of walking aids which may bequickly and easily shifted from retraction position into operativeposition by the user. In form A of my invention as illustrated tworesilient retaining elements hold the traction plate 11 in tightengagement with the bottom of tip 8 and in form B of my invention I havefound that only a single resilient element is needed since without theupstanding tab members 11b the resiliency of spring 10 is not requiredand the two non-resilient links 17 may be substituted therefor. Thesespaced links 17 and V-shaped link 20 engage the lower side portions ofthe tip 8 and combine with the upwardly extending projection 12a to holdthe plate 12 in operative position and prevent lateral, as well aslongitudinal, shifting movement thereof.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and pro portions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention. v

What I claim is:

1. A traction attachment for walking aids in the nature of sticks havingconventional resilient traction tips at their lower ends, saidattachment comprising a traction plate having a number of dependingteeth fixed on the bottom thereof and including upstanding iiange meansdisposed at the periphery of said plate to form a tip receiving socketinto which the traction tip of a walking aid is adapted to fit, a pairof resilient elements respectively connected at their lower ends withopposed portions of said flange means, one of said resilient elementsbeing adapted to be hingedly connected to one side of the stick portionof a walking aid in upwardly spaced relation from the lower end thereofand the other being adapted to be releasably connected with the walkingaid on the opposite side of the stick portion from said hinged resilientelement to hold said traction plate in operative position and on thesame side of the stick portion as said hinged resilient element to holdsaid traction plate in retracted position.

2. A traction attachment for walking aids in the nature of sticks havingconventional resilient traction tips at their lower ends, saidattachment comprising a traction plate having a number of dependingteeth fixed on the bottom thereof and including upstanding ange meansdisposed at the periphery of said plate to form a tip receiving socketinto which the traction tip of a walking aid is adapted to t, a pair ofattaching members, at least one of said members being resilient innature, respectively connected at their lower ends with opposed portionsof said flange means, one of said attaching members being 15 adapted tobe hingedly connected to one side of the stick portion of a walking aidin upwardly spaced relation from the lower end thereof and the otherbeing adapted to be releasably connected with the walking aid on theopposite side of the stick portion from said hinged attaching member tohold said traction plate in operative position and on the same side ofthe stick portion as said hinged attaching member to hold said tractionplate in retracted position.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS375,110 Williams Dec. 20, 1887 1,709,686 Ryan Apr. 16, 1929 2,517,203Hansen Aug. l, 1950 2,531,707 Stalford Nov. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS197,849 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1938

